Murder at the Alamo

by Dianne Harman

  She wondered if the car was new. Once she got over her shock, she had to admit she really liked it. But renting a car this nice had to have been a serious expense considering how long they were going to be in San Antonio.

  “How much did this cost?” she asked after Linc climbed in and began pushing buttons to set the GPS on his phone.

  “Don’t worry about how much it cost,” he said with a wink. “Just enjoy. We’re here to have fun and live life a little differently than we would back home. This thing is nothing like my truck or your car.”

  “That’s no joke,” she said. Brigid eyed him with a suspicious look for a few moments before settling back into her seat. He was right. Maybe for once she should just sit back and relax. After all, it was supposed to be a vacation. And not just any vacation, her honeymoon. She didn’t want to end up overthinking everything and not enjoy herself. It was a bad habit she was determined to leave behind.

  As Linc followed the directions for exiting the airport, Brigid took a deep breath and leaned her head back against the head rest. With the top down and the breeze blowing her hair, she began to cool off and enjoy the warmth of the sun. She tipped her head back a little further, closing her eyes and letting go of all her worries. Now was not the time to focus on them.

  This was just the beginning of a week and a half of rest and relaxation. No teenagers to worry about or her sister, Fiona, who was pregnant. No work responsibilities or any other mundane day-to-day stuff that always seemed to bog her down. No murders or missing persons. This was Linc’s and her time together in their new roles as husband and wife.

  Occasionally, Brigid opened her eyes to look around at the surrounding area. San Antonio reminded her of Denver. Most cities basically seemed to be fairly similar. They all had grocery stores, gas stations, things like that, all the usual trappings of the modern world when a bunch of people live in the same densely populated area. But there were subtle differences that reminded Brigid they were far from home. For one, the absence of the mountains in the nearby distance.

  She’d grown accustomed to seeing them on the horizon, but now there were none. Not only had she grown up in Cottonwood Springs, but when she’d moved away, she’d lived in Los Angeles. The mountains surrounding the city were a presence there as well on a clear smog-free day. Here, the only thing on the skyline were the towering buildings of downtown.

  “Looks like we’ll be there soon,” Linc said as he pulled her away from her thoughts. “Are you going to be in the mood to do anything this evening or do you want to just relax at the B & B?” he asked. “I can go either way.”

  “I’m not sure,” Brigid admitted. “Maybe we can do something a bit more relaxing after we get checked in and settled? Sort of ease our way into things?”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” Linc said, nodding. “We need to find out how far the River Walk is from our B & B. I saw online there are tons of places to eat there, and if it’s nearby we could walk there to stretch our legs,” he said with a smile. “We can also see what else they have to offer there.”

  “I’d like that,” Brigid said easily. “Let’s take our first night here in San Antonio nice and slow. Besides, most tours or anything else we planned to do will probably be wrapping up by the time we finish dinner.”

  Linc nodded. “Sounds like we have a plan for the evening then,” he said as he reached across the seat and squeezed Brigid’s hand. “By the way, I think I’m already in love with this car,” he said.

  “Oh?” Brigid asked. “You think you’d like to have a convertible back home?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Can’t you just imagine cruising through the mountains with the top down?” he asked. “Smelling those fresh pines and clean clear air. Nothing between you and nature. It would be an amazing experience.”

  “That would be nice,” Brigid agreed. “But what about in the winter when it’s below zero? Would you still want to cruise around in it then?” she asked.

  Linc began to frown. “No, that doesn’t sound like as much fun,” he admitted. “But do you think we could keep it in storage in the winter?” he asked, brightening at the idea. He knew it wasn’t practical, but he didn’t care. Sometimes you had to do things that were impractical just to make life a little more fun.

  “I think you need to slow down,” Brigid laughed. “Let’s not jump ahead of ourselves. Why don’t we enjoy it while we’re here and worry about everything else when we’re back home?”

  “Okay,” Linc sighed. “Present moment, right?” They’d both been reading a book on mindfulness and had been doing their best to implement what they’d learned.

  “Exactly,” Brigid said as she turned to watch the scenery go by. “We have to stay in the present moment. Let our future selves worry about what happens in the future.”

  “Well then I think I need to buy my past self a drink,” Linc said.

  “Why’s that?” Brigid asked with a curious look on her face.

  “Because he had the good sense to meet you, of course. I owe that guy, big time. I’m not even sure if I could ever repay him.” Linc grinned, but continued to watch the traffic in front of them.

  “That’s true,” Brigid said as she raised her hand to his shoulder. She traced the edge of his ear with her finger, gently caressing the soft flesh. “I guess that means I owe him a big thank you as well,” she said as she continued to play with Linc’s ear. Her fingers trailed down to his neck and toyed with his hair.

  “I think I better accept that one on his behalf,” Linc said, his voice low and seductive.

  “We’ll see about that,” Brigid purred. Slowly, she lowered her hand and moved back to looking out the side window. Better to tease him and then leave him wanting more, she thought. Otherwise they might not ever make it out to dinner.

  “Now I can’t wait for this evening,” Linc said as they left the interstate, following the GPS’s directions.

  “Let’s just get to the B & B first, tiger,” Brigid said. “There’s a lot to do between now and then.”

  CHAPTER 2

  “This is it,” Linc said as he slowed down and pulled into a long driveway. The home was even more beautiful than the pictures online had shown. It was a large two-story house that looked as though it was straight out of a Civil War era movie.

  The Silver Star Bed and Breakfast had tall white columns in front of it, a wraparound porch, a wide landing upstairs, with black shutters framing each window. Brigid could imagine the owner closing them over the windows for protection if a bad storm blew in, which wasn’t unusual in this part of Texas.

  The driveway led around to the back of the house where there was a small parking area and a large garage. The house, garage, and a gazebo were all painted white. The spring flowers that had been in the online pictures were all gone by now, but there were colorful plants along the edge of the B & B as well as in the back yard. The brick sidewalk which ran through the yard was well taken care of without a weed in sight. Brigid was impressed. From the attention to detail, whoever took care of the yard obviously did it as a labor of love.

  “Wow,” Linc said as he parked the car. “It almost looks like something from a movie or one of those architectural magazines. I wasn’t expecting it to look this nice.”

  “Me, neither,” Brigid admitted. “But now I’m really excited,” she said with a grin as they climbed out of the car. She inhaled deeply as she looked at the large imposing trees along the edge of the yard that towered over everything. Only slivers of light snuck through, keeping the entire yard in the shade. They retrieved their suitcases from the trunk and walked up to the door.

  “Come in, come in,” a jolly voice called out as they approached the screen door, their feet making hollow sounds on the old wooden porch. Inside, the main door was standing wide open and they heard the whir of ceiling fans. Linc held the screen door open for Brigid and she stepped inside.

  The main room was fairly large. There were two couches facing a tall, imposing fireplace construc
ted of smooth river rocks. The wooden floors had a high sheen that matched all the wooden doors and trim surrounding the antique white walls. Long hunter green curtains framed the tall windows and landscape photographs hung on the walls. Although it was masculine, it was still very inviting.

  “Good afternoon,” the older gentleman in the rocking chair said. His chair was tucked between one of the couches and the fireplace, making a nice little cozy area to enjoy a fire if there had been one. Brigid imagined he spent many nights sitting there in the winter when it was cold outside.

  He slipped a bookmark into his book and set it down on a small round table beside him. The German shepherd next to his feet had pricked his ears up at attention when they entered the room. “May I help you?” he asked.

  “We’re Mr. and Mrs. Olson,” Linc said as the man stood up to greet them. “We made a reservation online with you.”

  “Ah, yes,” the older man said. “Do come in. I have your room all ready for you.” He walked somewhat stiff-legged at first as he stretched his legs out. By the time he made it over to them he was walking normally. “Let me get your room key, and I’ll show you to your room. My name’s John. John Hawk. And this is Charlie,” he said as he gestured toward the large German shepherd that had followed him over to where Linc and Brigid were standing.

  They shook John’s hand and scratched Charlie behind his ears. John retrieved a key from behind a desk that was tucked in a nearby corner. It was an old roll-top desk that looked as though it had served its purpose for many years. After collecting the key, John motioned for Brigid and Linc to follow him toward the stairs.

  “You’re the ones on your honeymoon, correct?” he asked as he began to climb the beautiful wooden staircase. It rose a short distance before stopping at a small square landing and then turned to the right before rising once again. The stairs creaked and moaned with age as they walked up them.

  “Yes, sir,” Linc said, nodding in agreement. “We were married just a few days ago.”

  “Beautiful. Just beautiful. Always love it when newlyweds come to stay with me. My wife, Francis, God rest her soul, always said it was good luck to have newlyweds come here,” he said as he reached the top. “It’s never been bad luck, so she must have been onto something there,” he said with a wink. “How was the wedding?”

  “Gorgeous. We had a small ceremony in our yard with just family and friends,” Brigid said, “which was just what we wanted. Do you take care of the B & B by yourself?” Brigid asked as they reached the top of the stairs.

  “That I do,” John said. “I retired from the police force a number of years ago. This place keeps me going, otherwise I’d probably just sit on my behind and get fat,” he chuckled. “Besides, it’s nice getting to meet folks like you from all over.” He stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall. The small brass plaque on it was engraved with the words “Red Suite.” “Here you are,” he said as he unlocked the door. He pushed it open and stepped to the side to allow Brigid and Linc to enter.

  Brigid was amazed at how beautiful the room was. The walls were the same antique white as the rest of interior of the B & B. The ceiling, however, was a lovely deep shade of red. The duvet cover, as well as the throw pillows and curtains, all matched the red ceiling.

  “It’s gorgeous,” Brigid said.

  Charlie trotted into the room and curled up beside the bed.

  “Come on now, Charlie. You know better. Out,” John called.

  “Oh, he’s no trouble,” Brigid said as she leaned over and scratched Charlie’s back. He seemed to smile in response. “I have a big Newfoundland dog at home, so Charlie’s not a bother.”

  “Well, I’ll leave that to you,” John said with a smile. “Feel free to boot him out if he gets in your way. He’s a loveable guy, but sometimes he gets underfoot.”

  “Not a problem,” Linc said as he moved to shake John's hand again. “He won’t be any trouble at all. We’re dog people.”

  John nodded. “If you need anything, just let me know. Feel free to look around, and if you’d like any suggestions on places to visit, I’ve seen them all.” He moved away from the door, and they heard his footsteps on the stairs.

  “So, what’s your story Charlie?” Linc asked as he sat down on the bed. Charlie greeted him with a cold nose bump. “Strong, silent type, hmm?” Linc asked.

  Brigid laughed. “I don’t think you’re going to get too much from him.” Her stomach began to growl loudly. “How about if we find somewhere to eat and unpack later?” she suggested.

  “Fine by me,” Linc said as he stood up from where he was sitting on the bed. “I bet John can point us in the right direction. Let’s ask him about River Walk and see if he thinks that would be suitable for what we’re looking for tonight.”

  They left their bags on the bed and headed out of the room, Charlie hot on their heels. When they stopped to lock the door to their room, Linc noticed how well- behaved Charlie was.

  “He seems to be extremely well-trained,” he said as he watched the dog.

  “You think so?” Brigid asked.

  “Yeah, I get the feeling he knows a lot more than your average dog,” he said as they headed for the stairs. Their new four-legged friend followed right beside them, as if he belonged there. When they reached the ground floor, they found John back in the rocking chair with his book.

  “May we interrupt you for a moment to ask you a few questions?” Brigid said as they joined John.

  “Sure, have a seat,” he said easily. “It seems like Charlie really likes you,” he said with a gentle smile.

  “Has he been professionally trained?” Linc asked.

  “Yes, he has. Good eye. He’s retired from the police force, just like me. I guess both of us are a couple of old men. Of course, he’s still young at heart.” He gave the dog a pat on his side.

  “We were thinking of heading to the River Walk, but wanted to make sure it wasn’t a noisy place. We kind of wanted to have an easy first evening here and didn’t want some crowded tourist attraction right off the bat,” Brigid explained.

  “The River Walk would be great for that. Plenty of places to choose from. There are lots of relaxed style restaurants there as well as fancier places, if that’s what you’re looking for. You can also walk along the river or take a boat ride,” he said.

  “That sounds great,” Brigid said as she turned towards Linc.

  “You can have dinner on one of the boats, if that’s more your speed. They show you the sights while you’re eating great food,” John explained. “What else are you two planning on doing while you’re here?”

  “We want to go to the Alamo,” Brigid began. “We’re also planning on heading to the beach for a day.”

  John nodded. “Might as well, as long as you’re this close.”

  “Otherwise we’re pretty open,” she said.

  “Well, depending on what you’re into, there’s a lot to see around here like the Natural Bridge Caverns and the Japanese Tea Garden. The younger crowd isn’t into the nature stuff that much, but I always enjoyed it,” he offered.

  “I didn’t know about those,” Brigid said. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime,” John said. “It’s been a while since I visited either of them, but I’m sure they’re both still great. I think they’ve even added more to the caverns, like a zipline and things of that nature.”

  “That sounds more my speed,” Linc said with a grin. “I tend to lean more towards the thrill-seeking stuff, while Brigid prefers the nature walks and things like that.”

  “Well then you may want to consider heading in that direction. I know there’s a website that can give you a bit more information than I have. I’m sure you could also find out the prices and other information.”

  “Thanks,” Brigid said. “Well, Linc. You ready to go to dinner?”

  “I think so,” he said as they stood up. “Thanks again, John.”

  “My pleasure. You two have a good evening,” he said as they walked over to th
e door. Charlie took a few steps as if he wanted to join them and then sat down. He whined as they walked away. “Charlie, behave,” John chided.

  Brigid turned around and smiled. “Oh, Charlie, you sweetheart. You have to stay here. I’m going out to dinner.”

  The dog seemed to understand her words, because he returned to his spot next to John and plopped down as if he were pouting.

  “He’s going to break my heart,” Brigid said.

  “He’s not normally like this. He must really like you,” John explained.

  “Maybe one of these days I could take him for a walk, if you don’t mind?” Brigid offered.

  “Of course. I’m sure Charlie would really enjoy that,” John said with a smile.

  Brigid gave both John and Charlie a little wave before she and Linc headed out the door and to the car with food on their mind.

  CHAPTER 3

  Brigid was delighted when they got to the River Walk. It seemed like an American version of Venice, Italy. Not that she’d ever been there, but she’d seen enough pictures to have a rough idea what it looked like, and this seemed pretty close. Colorful umbrellas lined one side of the river while the other side had trees, bushes, and lots of greenery. Stone arch bridges crossed the river in various places and boats moved along the water with ease.

  “I don’t know what I was expecting,” Linc began. “But it wasn’t this.” They both paused for a long time to simply take in their surroundings. It was nothing like anything they’d ever seen before, and they definitely hadn’t anticipated something like this in the middle of a city.

  “I agree,” Brigid said. “It’s almost magical, isn’t it? It’s like we just stepped into some sort of fairy tale village.”

  Linc nodded as he put his arm around Brigid’s shoulder. “Exactly. I’d feel like we were in some time travel thing if it wasn’t for everyone dressed in modern clothes.” They looked around for a few more minutes and then Linc turned towards Brigid and said, “So, where do you think we should eat? Do you want to see about dining on one of those boats?”